Dunne & Crescenzi
South Frederick Street, Dublin 2

This wonderful little restaurant comes in two parts separated by another coffeehouse, Coffee Oasis, and can be found just off the tourist track that is Nassau Street. Luckily the tourists usually don't find it. Serving truly wonderful Italian (Palombini) coffee, the only problem with the venue is that it's too small and not really a place to linger. There's usually a good atmosphere from the office and college people who frequent it, but even when it's quiet it still manages to be magical, helped in no small measure by the regular bursts of Italian from the staff.
It's a basic design - square with about 20 tables (there was a couch but people used to become ensconced and it was taken out and replaced with two more tables!). The walls are covered with shelves full of wonderful wines, biscuits, pastas and sauces, the basic ingredients for a decent homemade Italian meal. An interesting stained glass section to the windows in number 16 a few years ago has been well received by the customers.
Cappuccinos, Lattes, Espresso and just plain black are available (the best Italian coffee in town was how it was reviewed recently), along with some truly wonderful pastries - but be quick as they sell out fast. If you do miss the pastries, the lunches and desserts are excellent too. A regular cup of perfect coffee at €1.50 is a serious temptation.
In the evening pasta dishes are in the region of €7 - €10, including a vegetarian option usually. It gets busy then too, and as they don't take bookings it's best to get there early.